


The Promise

by joshuaorrizonte



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Hidden Pasts, Kidnapping, M/M, Male Apprentice (The Arcana), Necromancy, Other, Pirates, Red Plague (The Arcana)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-20 16:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30007581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshuaorrizonte/pseuds/joshuaorrizonte
Summary: Asra and Julian have an almost fairytale life, finally happy together.But then their pasts come back to haunt them. Can they overcome the things they regret - and come out of it alive?
Relationships: Apprentice/Muriel (The Arcana), Asra/Julian Devorak
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Julian could hardly believe this was his life. 

He hadn't come back to Vesuvia looking for love; he had come back to Vesuvia looking for answers. He'd found both, both at the hands of the person who had shattered his heart five years ago. He hadn't even wanted to see Asra when he arrived back, trying to figure out if he had murdered Lucio, to see if he needed to turn himself in and face justice. 

_ Ilya _ , Asra said evenly, looking him in the eyes at the Rowdy Raven, Nadia watching behind him,  _ if you are guilty, I will protect you. You're back because you need answers about it. We need answers, too. I can't explain right now- I will, as soon as I can- but right now, time is of the essence and I need you to trust me. Please. _

And, foolishly, Julian had said yes and gone with him. Foolishly, because it was the last time he saw his heart solitary and whole. The magician sleeping beside him now owned it now, inextricably. He'd counted himself lucky that he'd escaped Asra before. He would never escape him again- but he found he didn't want to, this time. He wasn't sure if Asra had changed, or if he had, but it seemed like they were in perfect sync with each other now, whereas before it was a terminal case of "opposites attract". Lucio was gone for good, he was free of his guilt over Lucio's death and the plague, and he was with the one person he had always wanted.

Perfect.

_ Almost _ .

Asra stirred as Julian watched him, smiling up at him. "Mm... what're you looking at?"

"You."

"You look awfully intent."

"Do you always have to analyse everything from the moment you wake up?"

"You don't know me very well, do you?" Asra reached up and put his arms around Julian's neck as he spoke, pulling him down. They kissed, slow and languid, and when they parted Asra commented, "I'm hungry. What time is it?"

"Time to make love." Julian waggled his eyebrows.

Asra snorted and gave a half-hearted shove against Julian's shoulder, glancing out the window. "It looks like it's almost midday. Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You looked so peaceful. And I know you were up late last night." Julian sighed and sat up. "But I'm pretty hungry, too."

"Pumpkin bread?"

"Pumpkin bread." Julian grinned. "I'll put the tea and coffee on, you get the bread?"

"Sure." 

Asra and Julian rolled out of bed, Julian going to the kitchen as Asra dressed. Julian noted that Asra hadn't checked on Thomas in a few weeks, which was extremely unusual for him. When Lucio was banished to the Devil's realm, and Thomas started living with Muriel, Asra had been at the hut at least three times a week. Julian bit back his irritation with that. It wasn't jealousy, not exactly; Julian wasn't a jealous man. Part of it was annoyance that Julian couldn't come with. Muriel had grown to tolerate Julian, but still would only do so in small, irregular doses, and visiting Thomas was out of the question if Muriel was there. It had caused more than one fight between Julian and Asra. Thomas was Julian's friend, too. He shouldn't have been barred from seeing Thomas because Thomas’s boyfriend didn't like him.

He  _ still _ didn't know why Muriel disliked him so much. He had asked him at one point, when Asra was ill and Muriel and Thomas had come to them. Muriel had given him a deeply cynical look and ignored the question. Julian had left for several hours after that. If he wasn't wanted, he'd be elsewhere. His excursion wasn't entirely selfish; he brought Asra back pumpkin bread and a fever-reducing salve from his clinic, both of which Asra appreciated.

The thought to ask Asra if he intended to visit Thomas soon flitted through his mind, and then out of it. If Asra was getting over his need to fawn over Thomas, all the better. Julian had thought the long weeks they’d been gone before the last masquerade would’ve broken him of that, but those events made it worse, and Asra wouldn’t explain why he was so afraid of losing him. He would only say that he had already lost him once, he wasn’t going to lose him again. Julian assumed he meant when Vulgora had forced Thomas and Muriel into the magical realms and let it be.

But when Asra said that he was going to see Thomas, Julian was determined to go with. He was Asra’s lover, and Muriel and Thomas were Asra’s best friends. He was willing to give Muriel space, but he refused to be shut out from such a significant part of Asra’s life completely, as Muriel seemed to want. He took the time from Asra leaving to get their breakfast to rehearse what he would say, going over it in his head like a script. 

He’d been planning this speech for days now, as he expected Asra to want to see them any day now. Julian sat with a mug of coffee and mulled over the predicted conversation in his head. Asra was sure to agree to his reasoning, but Julian could see him putting it off further by asking him to give him this visit to warn Muriel that Julian was insisting on seeing them.

As he got through the second cup, he wondered if he would give that to him. Yes, just dropping in on Muriel might be rude, but Julian had been more than patient and gracious and he didn't see Thomas nearly as much as he wanted to- nor Muriel, for that matter. For all Muriel seemed to hate him, Julian honestly thought he was a good man and would be a good friend, if he'd just give Julian a chance. If Julian had wronged him somehow, he wanted to make it right- but he couldn't make anything right if he didn't know what was wrong. It was well past the time when he should've been given the chance to make good on whatever made Muriel hate him so much.

As he finished the third cup, all thoughts of trying to make things right with Muriel were superseded by one, single, alarming thought:  _ Something is wrong _ . Where was Asra? It didn't take him this long to get pumpkin bread.

With that thought, he set his empty mug down on the table and went back into the bedroom. He hadn't seen Faust with Asra when he left but that didn't mean she wasn't with him. He didn't know what he planned to do if she was still there; he couldn't communicate with her like Asra could. Still... He pulled the blankets off the bed, ruffled through the pillows. No snake. He sat back on the bed, his mind turning. Should he go after him? Should he look for help? 

The sound of the shop door banging open and then slamming shut got his attention, and he scrambled off the bed and down the stairs to see Asra leaning against the closed door. Julian's blood froze in his veins at the look on Asra's face. He was  _ terrified _ . "Asra? Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine," Asra replied in a tight, odd voice, as Julian rushed down the remaining stairs and over to him. He swallowed hard. "For now, anyway. We need to go."

"Go? Where- why-"

"There's no time, we need to just go.  _ Now _ . I'll explain when we're out of danger but we can't stay here. We have to go  _ now _ ." 

"A-Alright, just let me go get-" 

"No, Ilya, there's no time!"

"Alright!" Julian struggled to remain calm. He wasn't used to this level of  _ any _ emotion from Asra. "We'll go to Mazelinka's. She'll be able to get us on a ship to Nevivon as quickly as possible."

Asra merely nodded, then turned to the door again, swallowing hard. Then he unbolted the door, took Julian's hand, and left the shop, heading out into the busy street. He only stopped to lock the primary lock, and that's when Julian knew that Asra meant it when he said they had to leave now. Asra would never leave the shop so unprotected. He was really in a hurry.

Asra led him through the streets, taking back alleys whenever he could. Julian was intimately familiar with the back channels of the city, and Asra was taking as obscure a path as he possibly could, only moving out into the open when they were well into the south end. They smoothly joined the crowd of people going about their day, heading for Mazelinka's home. Just as they were about to reach her street, Asra veered into the back alley again. "What are you doing?" Julian asked.

"In case we were followed." Asra's voice was low, just above a whisper. "We don't want them to know where we're-"

There was a shift in the air, palpable, magical, and Julian froze at the sensation. Asra shoved him up against the wall, flinging a hand out to the end of the alleyway they had just entered. There was a sharp grunt, and then Asra was in the middle of the alley again, magic crackling at his fingertips, but he did not move. Julian looked to see who he was confronting. A woman, so beautiful it took his breath away, stood behind them. Pitch black hair tumbled in soft curls around her shoulders, framing a porcelain face with lips painted blood red. Her eyes were dark, almost black, and a soft, cruel smile played on her lips. “Asra. Good to see you - although no thanks to you.”

“What do you want, Madraith?”

Her shoulders shook in silent laughter. “You know damn well what I want, witch.”

“Who is this, Asra?” Julian asked. 

It was Madraith who answered. “I am an acquaintance of our lovely magician here, nothing more. An acquaintance to whom he owes a great deal, and I’m here to collect.”

“I owe you nothing,” Asra snarled, startling Julian again. 

“I beg to differ.”

“How the hell do you figure-“

“First of all, my love, why in the  _ world  _ would you run so frantically if you don’t owe me anything?”

Asra scowled. “Don’t call me that. And I tried to get away because I know you  _ think _ I owe you something.”

“Did the spell not work?”

“It did, but-“

“Then you owe me something.”

“I was the one who did all the work!” Asra snapped. “All you did was sell me a book!”

Madraith  _ tut’ _ ed. “Knowledge isn’t free, my friend.”

“Asra,  _ who is she _ ?” Julian demanded. He wasn’t a jealous man. At all. But this woman had just called his lover ‘my love’ and it was clear to anyone with eyes that Asra was afraid of her.

Madraith’s gaze swept over Julian, taking interest in him for the first time. Finally she shrugged. “I think you better answer him,” she commented mildly. “I don’t think you want him to hear it from me. You won’t like how I phrase it.”

Through gritted teeth, Asra said, “She’s a necromancer.”

The words sent a chill through Julian. He knew just enough about magic to know that necromancers were bad news. “Why does a necromancer think you owe her something?” he murmured, his mind turning. Necromancers were said to be insanely powerful, and Julian was starting to believe that Asra was in extreme danger. He had to get him out of there somehow. 

Madraith’s lips twitched up as she regarded him. “Asra, sweetheart,” she said, and Julian would’ve thought them to be close if he didn’t know better, “he doesn’t know about your hobby, does he?”

“What hobby?”

“It’s not a hobby.” Asra was struggling to keep his emotions in check. “I... I needed necromancy once. A long time ago.” Julian felt the color drain from his face as Asra continued, not taking his eyes off Madraith, “I’ll explain everything later, when we have time-“

“Are you, perchance, familiar with Thomas?” Madraith cut him off.

The pieces began to fall into place. “What does Thomas have to do with this?” he asked, gaze flicking between necromancer and magician.

“Don’t do this, Madraith.”

“Begging now, sweets? That’s not like you. You must really want to protect this man.” Her cold smile grew. “Well? I will tell him exactly what you owe me if you don’t do it. Then we’ll see if he’ll still back you up.”

“Let me stop you right there,” Julian said harshly, eye narrowing. “There is  _ nothing  _ he can tell me that will make me walk away from him.”

“Oh? Not even that  _ he _ is a necromancer?”

Julian took a deep breath, letting Asra’s protest and what she just said sweep over him, and then away from him. “After this little display, you think I didn’t expect that?” he asked quietly. Madraith blinked, taken aback by his calmness. “Asra says he will explain later, and I believe him. But right now, I do believe you’re threatening him, for no other reason than the fact that he’s  _ never _ this emotional.” Julian stepped in front of Asra as he spoke. “And if you want him, you’re going to have to go through me.”

“Ilya...” Asra whispered.

Madraith snorted, the smile sliding off of her face. “Very well. Then I shall go through you.” Magic crackled at her fingertips, black fire creeping up her arms as she advanced. He heard Asra’s breath catch, heard him almost frantically declare that he couldn’t take her, when Madraith lunged for him.

Julian panicked, his brave words collapsing like a drunk in a back alley. He put out his arms and moved to catch her, hoping beyond hope that the fire was just to scare him. Heat seared him as he wrapped his arms around Madraith, holding her tight. He grunted in pain, but held on, ignoring her indignant protest, asking him what the hell he thought he was doing. Asra’s magic coated him, cooling the fire Madraith was pushing into him. “You need to knock her out!” he heard Asra exclaim. 

“What?” Julian gasped, as Madraith tried to twist away. “You want me to hit a woman?!”

“That woman is trying to set us on fire, in case you haven”t noticed!” Asra exclaimed. “Knock her-  _ fine _ , I’ll do it, hold her still!”

At that moment, Madraith stomped on his foot as hard as she could, and he grunted and reflexively let go. Madraith whirled around, her hand cracking across Julian's face, leaving angry red burns on his cheek. Julian gasped in surprise, barely having the awareness to dart away as she aimed a flaming punch at his gut. He dodged into a cloud of chill vapor, turning in time to see needle-sharp shards of ice pelt the necromancer. She raised a hand and sent a stream of black fire from her palm, burning away the cold to steam. "No!" Julian cried as the flames struck Asra in the chest, sending him reeling against the wall. Anger surged through him and he turned back to her, fist clenched, and swung at her face, heart pounding.

But he couldn't do it. He stopped just short of her cheek. She laughed derisively. And then she flung another bolt of fire at him, knocking him back against Asra. "Aren't you just a gentleman," she sneered, stalking forward, flames engulfing both hands. Julian fought to clear the haze of pain she had inflicted on him, to get up and  _ do something _ , but he couldn't. Clarity wasn't coming fast enough. "I don't want to kill you, stranger. I don't even want to kill Asra. He's too sweet to just terminate."

"You must be talking about someone else," Julian wheezed. "Asra is not 'sweet.'"

"Well, sweet-talker, then. He's got a tongue of silver- talked me right out of one of my most precious books, and I want it back." She advanced further. "I cannot fathom why you won't just give me what I want, Asra. This isn't necessary."

Asra wrapped his arms around Julian's shoulders and said nothing, glaring defiantly. She looked right back at him, calmly, and then shrugged. "I suppose I'll have to kill you, then," she muttered, and the black flames were in her hands again. "I'm sure you've got a key to that hovel you call a shop." Julian felt Asra's magic rise around him, creating a shield of solid ice. Madraith laughed again. "I can do this all day, Asra," she said, her voice deceptively gentle. "But I've already gotten the better of you. You're going to run out of steam before I- _ ah! _ "

There was a flash of light, and verdant vines burst over Madraith's arms and shoulders, wrapping around her and binding her. Then, as if someone shoved her, she pitched forward. "Mazelinka!" Julian gasped. "How did you-"

"Magicians have a way," Mazelinka said quickly. "Hurry, get up! That's not going to hold her for long!"

Asra and Julian scrambled to their feet as Mazelinka leapt over the fallen necromancer, grabbing each of their wrists in her hands and dragging them towards the end of the alleyway. "Stop!" Madraith thundered. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious-"

Asra stopped short, stricken. "What?"

"You heard me! If I can't get my book back and I can't take it out on you, then I'll just have to undo what you used me for!"

"No!"

"Oh, shut up," Mazelinka hissed, letting go of Asra briefly to fling a hand out towards Madraith again. There was another burst of light, and then green dust blew in Madraith's face. She gasped, and her eyes closed and she slumped, unconscious.

They stared at her for a moment before Mazelinka took a deep breath. "I'm sure there's a rational explanation of why I just had to rescue you from a necromancer," she said.

“There is,” Asra replied, his voice shaking, “but she indicated that she’s going to go after Thomas. We need to warn him.”

“Should we fetch a guard?” Julian asked. 

Asra shook his head. “No. You know that necromancy is illegal in Vesuvia and you heard what she said about me. Turn her in and I might as well be turning myself in, because she’ll implicate me.”

Mazelinka regarded him shrewdly. “You’ve dabbled in the forbidden arts, eh? Just when you think you know a person...”

Asra heaved a tired sigh. “I will explain everything, I promise, but we have to get away from here. Now.”

“Wait.” Mazelinka raised her magic once more. Vines sprung up from the cracks in the pavement, wrapping tightly around the unconscious necromancer. “There. That’ll take her a good long while to get out of. Let’s go.”

Julian took Asra’s hand and squeezed it as they started walking, unable to keep a fine tremor from his fingers. Magic scared him in ordinary circumstances. He didn’t know much about necromancy, except that it was outlawed for a very good reason. He wasn’t afraid of Asra, he was sure of that.

But he feared that he would be when Asra finished explaining himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Thomas sighed as he slung his bow across his back and picked up his kills. Three rabbits and two pheasants. It wouldn’t last them very long, but they would eat well, for as long as this lasted them. And Muriel was out fishing, so they’d have whatever he caught, too. Supplemented with the eggs he got from the chickens, the milk from the two goats they’d bought (and the cheese they made from the milk), and the vegetables and fruits from the garden they kept, they ate  _ very _ well. 

It had taken time to establish their tiny home. Nadia had insisted on helping rebuild and expand the hut, and in establishing the garden. Asra, Muriel, Thomas, and Mazelinka had spent an entire day enchanting the garden to ward off pests and disease, and until recently, Asra was a regular dinner guest, claiming that they ate better than people in the city. Thomas wasn’t sure about that, but he wouldn’t give up this lifestyle for anything. He missed the shop sometimes, but it was a nostalgia that was quickly cured by listening to Asra talk about problem customers. Asra even joked that sometimes he wished he could come back to the hut. Thomas knew he was kidding, letting off steam harmlessly, but Muriel always told him, in a deadly serious tone, that he was always welcome. They'd make room.

"Is Julian invited?"

"No."

"I appreciate it, but no thank you."

Muriel always looked like he wanted to say more, but never did. But he always, always groused to Thomas after those conversations that he didn't know why Asra was with him to begin with.

Once, he'd asked why Muriel disliked him so much. "He's loud."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"You know I don't believe you, right?"

Muriel sighed then and changed the subject. 

Thomas let himself bask in the warm memory of his two favorite people with him at once for a moment longer before starting the trek back to the hut- now a little cottage. He didn't get far before he sensed something  _ off  _ and braced himself.

For as long as Thomas could remember, he just  _ knew _ when Asra was distressed, and that sixth sense was reciprocal. Thomas definitely felt as though Asra needed him, urgently. He quickened his steps, heading back to the cottage. He had just arrived when he heard people moving through the woods and turned his attention to them. Sure enough, Asra was leading Julian to the cottage, and Thomas frowned for the second before he saw Mazelinka. "That can't be good," he muttered to himself, setting his pack down and moving to intercept them.

Asra was distraught, but hid it well. It was only Thomas's intuition about him that let him know just how deeply distressed Asra is. "Are you okay?" Asra asked the moment his gaze fell on his friend.

"I'm fine. I was just out hunting. I assume you're not."

"You assume correctly, lad," Mazelinka said.

"What's going on?"

"Where's Muriel?" Asra asked.

His tone startled Thomas. "He's- he's down by the stream, fishing-"

"We need to get him and go. Now."

"Hey!" Julian snapped, startling Thomas again. Julian  _ never _ spoke to Asra like that. "You said you'd explain things when we-"

"When we were  _ away _ , Ilya! I don't think you get that we're all in mortal danger!"

"No, I get that just fine. She nearly burned me to a crisp! But I'm not going any further until you tell me  _ why! _ "

"You realize that after you defended me, she's going to be after you too-"

"Hey!" Mazelinka interrupted the argument. "That's enough! Can't you see you're bewildering the poor boy?"

“Asra,” Thomas said, when Asra stopped talking and looked at Mazelinka like she’d lost her mind, “what’s going on?”

“The short answer is that my past is coming back to haunt me,” Asra answered, pleading in his voice. “The long answer has to wait until we’re on a ship out of here. There isn’t enough time to explain everything.”

Just then, Muriel approached, looking over the group. His gaze lingered on Julian, but he said nothing, turning his attention to Asra. “I have magical traps in the woods,” he said. “Is the person chasing you a magic user?”

“She’s a necromancer.”

Muriel sucked in a breath, eyes widening. Then he said, “The wards will catch her. You need to explain yourself to them, Asra.”

“But-“

“This isn’t a debate. They have a right to know.”

“I assume you know what this is about,” Julian murmured, gaze flicking between Muriel and Asra.

“I have an idea. Everyone in the hut.” With that, he trundled past them all, releasing the wards on the cottage door and stepping inside, leaving the door open behind him.

Asra’s face flushed, and he muttered something under his breath, but he followed Muriel into the cottage. Thomas, Julian, and Mazelinka followed, and Thomas shut the door behind them.

Once everyone was arranged in the small living room, Muriel turned to them. “Was anyone hurt?” he asked.

“Ilya was burned. Badly,” Asra answered.

Even as Julian protested it wasn’t that bad, Muriel shuffled over to him and put a heavy hand on his shoulder. Muriel’s magic swept over him, and as it did so, Julian relaxed. “Thank you,” he murmured.

Muriel grunted an acknowledgement and turned back to Asra. “You can be as quick as you want, but we’re not leaving this hut until you tell them  _ everything _ . They deserve to know what’s going on.”

Asra swallowed hard, gaze fixing on Thomas. “During the masquerade Lucio was killed at,” he said in a soft voice, “I made a deal with the Devil. Thomas had- Thomas had been killed by the red plague.” Julian’s eyes widened and Mazelinka whispered something under her breath. Both of them looked at Thomas in wonder. But, much to Asra’s surprise, Thomas didn’t react. “Are- are you alright?” he asked him. “This isn’t triggering a headache, is it?”

Thomas shook his head. “No. I know this already. Muriel told me about it when we traveled to the southern steppe before the last masquerade. But he said nothing about a necromancer.”

Asra seemed to be trying to find words, fighting with himself. “A cult of them, actually.”

“Good lords in heaven.” Mazelinka cursed. “What did you promise them?”

Defensively, Asra replied, “Nothing but money. And I paid them for that book. Or rather, to use it.” He sighed. “I got the ritual to bring Thomas back to life with it. The Magician wouldn’t tell me how to bring him back, and I didn’t know who else to turn to. Madraith is a... well... an acquaintance. From when I was a teenager. We parted on good terms, so we kept up with each other. I told her one day that I was looking for a way to bring someone back to life- only  _ once _ , I had no intention of actually dabbling in necromancy except for this one situation- and she revealed she was a necromancer, might help me. And she did. She said that her high priest had given her permission to loan that book out. I learned the ritual I used to get a new body for Thomas from that.”

“Very well,” Julian said, sounding baffled. “So why don’t you just give the damn book back? I know you said you paid for it, but if she’s willing to kill you to get it back, then-“

“I can’t,” Asra ground out. “When I came back to the shop after resurrecting Thomas, I discovered it in a heap of ashes. Two days later Madraith disappeared when I tried to find her to tell her that the book had destroyed itself. I found out later that  _ someone  _ had turned her- and her entire cult- in for necromancy. I called it a happy coincidence and carried on with my life. I didn’t have the space to worry about her anymore, not with Thomas needing me so completely.”

“Have you tried  _ talking _ to her?” Mazelinka challenged.

Asra gave her a deeply cynical look. “Why didn’t I think of that? Of course I tried just talking to her. She approached me in the marketplace and told me in no uncertain terms that she wanted that book back and that she’d kill me and everyone I love to get it if she had to. She didn’t give me a  _ chance _ to tell her anything. She went right to death threats.”

Muriel shook his head slowly. “There’s something else going on here. I’m sure of it. Does Nadia know?”

“No. We didn’t have time to get to her. I got Ilya and ran. She caught up to us. The only reason we’re not dead now is because I could send a message to Mazelinka through magic that we were in trouble and needed help.”

“I think that should be the first thing we do,” Thomas said, glancing at Muriel. He nodded slightly, and Thomas continued, “Prakra has a magical library. I think we need to find out why the book destroyed itself when Asra used it.”

“That’s not going to change the fact that they want it back,” Asra protested.

Muriel sighed. “What do you want to happen, Asra? For us to just leave Vesuvia? Settle somewhere else?” Asra didn’t respond, and Muriel added, “I think Prakra is a good start. Tell Nadia what’s happening. She can send us with a letter explaining things. That will give Nadia time to clean up this cult again. We can come home once they’re gone. And we might be able to find out why the book destroyed itself.”

Julian looked disturbed. “I’m.... I’m afraid to ask, but what difference does it make? Does it really matter why the book destroyed itself?”

Muriel ignored Asra’s, “No,” and said, “It might. We won’t know until we’ve looked.”

“He’s right, Asra,” Mazelinka said, cutting off Asra’s protest. “It’s bad enough that you’ve hidden this for this long.”

“Why are you so resistant to facing the facts here?” Thomas asked quietly. “This isn’t like you.”

“I’m... not proud of what I did,” Asra said haltingly. “Don’t mistake me- I don’t regret it. Not in the slightest. Everything I did was worth your life, and I’d do it again- and do more, if necessary- if I had to do it again. But that doesn’t mean that it was completely above-board, ethically.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I thought this was over... I thought that once the cult was arrested, I wouldn’t have to deal with them again.”

“Did you do it?” Mazelinka asked. “Did you turn them in?”

“Absolutely not,” Asra replied immediately. “Madraith had been my friend. I was disappointed in her for what she’d become, but it was her choice, and after asking her to help me bring someone back to life, I had no business judging any of them. And I’ve done my share of law-breaking in my life.”

“He didn’t turn them in,” Muriel confirmed. “He was upset when he found out. The ritual’s results had been-“ He hesitated, glancing at Thomas. “-off. He told me when he couldn’t find Madraith that he hoped to find  _ someone _ in the cult who could tell him if the ritual had gone  _ wrong _ , if Thomas wasn’t Thomas anymore. It frightened him when he found out he wouldn’t get that guidance.”

Thomas looked to Asra. “I think we should go to Prakra,” he said, standing. “Why the ritual was off might be linked to why the book destroyed itself. That might have implications for us.”

“Honestly, if something bad was going to happen-“

Thomas leaned forward, his expression intent. “Let me rephrase that. It might have implications for  _ me _ .  _ I  _ am going to Prakra to investigate this, and you’re coming with me. You say you want to be away, Prakra is away, and we can wait them out there while we find out why that happened. You’re the one who taught me the principles of magic, and one of the very first things you taught me is that coincidences don’t happen, everything happens for a reason. It’s bad enough that you ignored it for this long.”

Asra heaved a sigh, looking away. “You’re right. I can use you as an excuse all I like, but you’ve been capable of taking care of yourself for over five years now. The fact is that I forgot until now and I’m afraid of what we’ll find.”

“That’s all the more reason to do it,” Julian said quietly. “I don’t want this to come back and bite you any harder than it already has. I’d prefer Nevivon, but Thomas and Muriel’s plan is solid. Please.”

“You don’t have to beg. Regardless of where we’re going, we have to go  _ now,  _ before Madraith finds us again.”

“Does Madraith know me and Muriel?” Thomas asked. At the shake of Asra’s head, Thomas stood and grabbed his coat. “Then we’ll go tell Nadia what’s going on. You three stay here, make yourselves at home.”

“Do you mind if we use your kitchen, lad?” Mazelinka asked. “The three of us can put together medicine and food for the trip.”

Thomas shot Muriel a glance before saying, “Of course, but is that necessary? Aren’t passenger ships usually stocked?”

“Piracy is rampant,” Julian answered. “It’s always best to have one’s own supplies in case of an emergency. And it’ll make me feel better if I know I have a supply of medicine to hold us over while we’re traveling.”

“Fine,” Muriel said, grabbing his coat and scarf as well. “Do what you want. Just don’t burn the place down. We’ll be back.”

With that, Thomas and Muriel left them and headed out into the woods, following familiar paths. Thomas finally broached the subject he was chewing on since they decided on this course of action. “I understand if you want to stay behind,” he said finally. "If this necromancer doesn't know you, you're not in danger."

Muriel glanced at him. "First, I'm not letting you go alone," he said firmly. "Second, she doesn't know  _ you _ either- but she can ask. If someone directs her to you, they're going to direct her to me, too. I  _ am _ in danger." He grimaced. "I just wish Asra hadn't let this go for so long. He got complacent."

"This is so unlike him. I can't fathom why he would-"

"It's just as he said. He's not proud of what he did to get you back. And he had his hands full caring for you when he did. I think he just forgot, to be honest."

"Did you know about the book?"

"I did. I helped him figure out that there wasn't any immediate need to look into it. He wasn't experiencing any adverse effects from it. I assumed he'd do it when he could breathe. And then I forgot until now, too." He sighed. "I'm sorry."

"For what? You've done nothing." Thomas reached for Muriel's hand and interlaced their fingers. "Think of it this way: I've been wanting to take you on a vacation for a year now."

Muriel snorted. "This isn't a vacation."

"Not with an attitude like that, it won't be." Thomas smiled. "We won't be doing research every waking hour. We will have time to enjoy the sights and sounds."

"I'd rather we didn't have to go. I enjoy the sights and sounds of the forest just fine."

"We'll even stay away from crowded parts of the city. C'mon..."

Muriel huffed a sigh, rolling his eyes, but he was smiling. "Fine. For you. Anything."

"I knew you'd see things my way." Muriel snorted and nudged him. Thomas nudged back, and they continued on their journey.

The city was in full swing by the time they arrived. Thomas led them through the back alleys he knew of, wanting to avoid the crowd as much as they could. Muriel took over as they reached the marketplace; he had a shortcut to the palace, one that Thomas hadn't traversed enough to be familiar with yet. By mid-afternoon, they stood before the castle gates, Ludovico and Bludmila watching their approach curiously. “We need to see the countess,” Thomas told them by way of greeting. “It’s urgent.”

“Is everything alright?” Ludovico asked, as Bludmila pushed the gate open.

“No,” Muriel answered simply, and trundled past the guards. 

Bewildered, they let him pass, and Thomas said, quickly, as he walked, “Asra, Julian, Muriel and I are in trouble. We have to leave for a while, and we have to tell Nadia. It involves law-breaking.”

“You didn’t-“ Ludovico started, only to be shushed by Bludmila. “She’ll be going over our food store inventory with Volta,” she said. “Good luck, whatever is going on.”

Thomas acknowledged her with a wave of his hand as he hurried to catch up to Muriel.

They’d barely taken five steps into the palace when Portia appeared before them. “Hey guys,” she greeted, her smile fading as she took in their serious expressions. “I take it you’re not here for a social call.”

“Not quite,” Thomas answered. “We need to talk to Nadia.”

“If you were anyone else, I’d show you to a parlor to wait. This way.” Portia headed off, Thomas and Muriel on her heels. “Any chance I can get the details from you as we’re walking?”

Thomas saw no reason to deny her. “A necromancer attacked Asra and Julian this morning,” he told her, and Portia’s mouth fell open. “They’re fine. But Asra did something years ago that ran afoul of her cult. Last he was aware, they were all in jail for necromancy. We’re assuming that if she’s free to go after him, the rest of them are. We want permission to travel to Prakra to get away from them while Valerius rounds the cult up again.”

“Gotcha. Do you mind if I get Valerius? He’s  _ such  _ a joy to be around, I know, but he should hear about this from people directly affected by it.”

Muriel narrowed his eyes at Portia, but nodded. “Yes. That might be best. We weren’t there for the attack, though.”

“Where are Asra and Julian?”

“At the hut.” 

Portia snorted. “He’s not going to go out there again,” she commented dryly, “and it doesn’t sound like the city is safe for them. He’s going to have to take your word for it.”

By then they were at the parlor, and Portia showed them in. "I'll be back with milady and the consul," she said, and whisked away.

They weren't waiting long. In only a few minutes, Nadia swept into the room. "Portia told me what's going on," she said in greeting, going to a desk. "I will write a letter to my mother explaining the situation. She will harbor you."

"Where is Valerius?"

"Meeting with the praetor. Apparently Valerius knows exactly who attacked them because they were released last night, having finished their sentences. He's working with the praetor to get arrest warrants for them again. That Asra and Julian must flee will make it harder, as far as we know, this is the only thing they've done and can claim his attacker was acting alone, and we may need their testimony to prove that they weren't. Regardless, he understands we cannot take chances with your safety and you must go." She wrote as she spoke. "I will accompany you back to your cottage, as will Valerius, to get their testimony before you leave, however."

Muriel gritted his teeth. "Portia said he wouldn't want to go out there."

Nadia threw a wry smile over her shoulder at him. "Portia was correct, however, he doesn't have much of a choice." She finished writing her missive, folded it up, and sealed it in an envelope. Then she stood. "Come. I will summon Valerius to my carriage, but I want to be ready to leave when he is."

Thomas and Muriel exchanged a look, but followed her. Thomas was frightened- but he was also excited. He had never been to Prakra- at least, not in his living memory. And he'd always wanted to travel with Asra. Once they were out of the city, everything would be okay.

He just knew it.

  
  



End file.
